


Charmed 201: Ghost Marriage

by Metal_Ox137



Series: Charmed AU2 [1]
Category: Charmed (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-03 21:25:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5307419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metal_Ox137/pseuds/Metal_Ox137
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phoebe and Paige investigate a domestic disturbance, caused by a ghost rejecting an arranged marriage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Charmed 201: Ghost Marriage

It was the last weekend of February, and the bitter cold spell that had gripped San Francisco for several days was finally over. More seasonable winter weather had mercifully arrived, and the temperatures had climbed from the icy twenties back into the upper fifties. A light drizzle was falling on the Saturday morning when Phoebe Halliwell and her sister Paige Matthews moved into their new apartment.  
It had barely been a week since Phoebe, Paige and their eldest sister Prue had vanquished the vengeful ghost of the original Phoebe Halliwell, and each sister was still licking deep emotional and physical wounds from that battle. Today, however, the collective malaise had lifted from the Halliwell sisters, and despite the hard physical work of moving into a new place, they all felt like they had something to celebrate.  
Prue's fiancé, Darryl Morris, and Paige's boyfriend, Henry Mitchell, had organized a crack team of volunteer furniture movers from among their friends and colleagues on the local police force, and the sisters contented themselves by watching a large group of muscular young men pushing heavy furniture around on their behalf.  
"Armoire in your bedroom, Phoebe?" Henry asked, as he came up the stairwell leading into Phoebe and Paige's new home.  
"Yes, please," said Phoebe, setting down a box of clothes in the middle of the great room. Phoebe swept her copper-colored hair back from her face and grinned at her baby sister. "Got the floor plan figured out yet?"  
Ebony haired Paige Matthews returned the grin. "I thought we could turn the northwest corner into the library," she suggested. "It's got that little recessed spot in it. We could stick the rolltop desk back there, the big bookshelf, one of the floor rugs, and that big straight-backed chair, with the ottoman."  
"Sounds good," Phoebe nodded approvingly.  
"Then we can put the sectional over on the south end, just under the skylights."  
"Works for me."  
"I was going to ask, did you want to leave the Book of Shadows in the library?" Paige asked. "If you want to keep it locked up in your armoire, that's fine, but I thought maybe we could get a bookstand, or something."  
"Ooh." Phoebe frowned. "I'm gonna have to think about that. I'm not sure that's the sort of thing we want to leave laying around."  
"Where did you used to keep it?"  
"Well, when we still had Grams' house, we kept it in the attic. That sort of kept it out of sight, even though we left it out all the time."  
"No such option here," Paige said, looking around. "I mean, this place is huge, but there's no place to hide anything, really. Unless - you want to mask it with a glamour, or something."  
"Let me think about it," Phoebe pleaded.  
"That's another thing, what do you want to do with the 'Sister Phone'? There's only one phone jack in this whole place, next to the kitchen island."  
"We can keep it next to the regular phone," Phoebe decided. "The Sister Phone isn't gonna ring on a regular line. We only need to keep it charged up."  
"Hasn't rung yet, huh?"  
"Not once," Phoebe sighed disconsolately. "And I still haven't figured out how to dial out yet."  
"Well, after we get this mess settled, we'll figure it out," Paige declared, giving her sister a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Phoebe. We'll talk to Prue and Piper again. I know we will."  
"Coming through," Henry called out, as he came up the stairs with three of his colleagues, lifting the armoire out of the stairwell and into the apartment.  
Phoebe and Paige watched in amusement and idle lust as the young men, with muscles straining, carried the oversized armoire into Phoebe's room.  
"Enjoying the view?" Phoebe gently teased her sister.  
"Oh, absolutely," Paige declared with a wicked grin.  
Henry came out of the bedroom. "Phoebe, where do you - "  
"South wall, far corner, please," Phoebe answered him with a knowing smile. "Thanks, Henry." Henry grinned back and disappeared into the bedroom.  
A few moments later, he returned, as the other men traipsed down the stairs for the next load. "We just saw Darryl and Prue downstairs," he reported. "They brought lunch, but we still have the dressers and the sectional to bring up. I thought we could do that first, before we take a break."  
"Don't forget the rolltop," Paige reminded him.  
"Oh. Right. Damn," he shook his head. "Forgot about that."  
"It's okay, Henry, the food's here, let's eat while it's hot," Phoebe suggested. "We have all day."  
"Well, actually, we have only until three," Henry said. "I have to return the van to the depot by three-thirty."  
"We should be finished long before then," Paige objected. "I mean, it's not like we have that much stuff."  
"Yeah, well, you never think you do, until you have to move it," Phoebe laughed. "I was only in Prue's spare room for five months, and I still can't believe what I've managed to collect in that time."  
As Henry headed back down the stairs, Phoebe turned to her sister and sighed. "Well, I suppose we could start unpacking boxes," she said reluctantly.  
"I'd love to just start orbing stuff around," Paige admitted. "But I guess I'd rather wait until the boys are gone before I start doing that. It might freak somebody out."  
"We could always do this the old-fashioned way," Phoebe grinned. "Using our bare hands."  
"Ha! If we're smart, we'll let Prue unpack and organize the kitchen for us."  
"Oh! Great idea!" Phoebe smiled brightly. "Let's ask her when she gets up here."  
A few minutes later, Prudence Trudeau walked into the apartment, carrying a large paper sack spotted with grease stains. Behind her was Prue's four year old daughter, Patience, and Darryl Morris, who was carrying a large cardboard box filled with canned soda.  
"Ooh! Lunch!" Phoebe exclaimed delightedly. "Thanks, Prue!" She helped her sister set the heavy sack on the kitchen counter, then gave her a quick hug.  
"Well, it looks like someone's moving in finally," Prue grinned at her sister.  
Phoebe looked at Prue with concern. Although Prue was smiling, she looked tired, and there were dark circles under her eyes.  
"I'm fine," Prue said quickly, before Phoebe could even ask the question. "I just didn't sleep that well last night. And I've been feeling kind of sick the last couple of mornings."  
"Morning sickness?" Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "Are you - late?" she asked hopefully.  
Patience tugged at her auntie's hand, and Phoebe quickly scooped up her niece into her arms.  
"By two days," Prue answered, and as Phoebe gasped with delight, Prue raised a cautioning hand. "Hey - it's too soon to know for sure yet, all right?" She gave her sister a tired smile. "But - just in case - I made an appointment with Karen, my OB/GYN, a week from next Monday."  
Paige came out of her bedroom, vigorously brushing the dust off her flannel shirt.  
"Don't say anything to Paige yet," Prue whispered in Phoebe's ear. "I want to be sure first."  
Phoebe nodded, not entirely approving, but agreeing.  
"Hey, Prue," Paige greeted her sister with a quick hug. "Hiya, sweetie," she added, giving Patience a quick peck on the cheek. She completed her round of greetings by bestowing an exuberant bear hug on Darryl. "Good to see ya, future brother-in-law."  
Darryl returned the hug warmly. "Hey, Paige. Good to see you too."  
"Thanks so much for this, you guys," she said. "Bringing lunch. It really helps a lot."  
"Not a problem," Darryl assured her.  
"Can I sleep over?" Patience asked Phoebe.  
"What, you mean tonight?" Phoebe grinned.  
"Yeah!"  
Phoebe looked over at Prue. "Actually, you guys are more than welcome to spend the night," she offered. "Take the new sofa bed for a test drive. Henry's staying," she added. "We could do a big family breggfirst here in the morning."  
"That's tempting," Prue admitted. "Let me think about it."  
"What are we going to do about lunch?" Paige fretted. "We don't have anything to sit on, except two creaky old barstools. The dinette's still down in the van."  
"Don't worry about it," Darryl said. "We can all sit on the floor. No big deal." He grinned. "First week in a new place is a lot like camping out."  
"It IS camping out," Paige retorted.  
Over lunch, as everyone tucked into burgers, fries and sodas, Phoebe pitched her plan to Prue. "Paige suggested we could have you set up the kitchen for us," she said, between bites on her burger. "It would really be a big help. We're still trying to figure out what we're going to do with the disaster areas we call our bedrooms."  
"You're so good at organizing," Paige added. "And if we wait until Pheeble or me gets around to it, it will probably be next October."  
"Sure, I'll be glad to help," Prue agreed with a smile.  
"We're still doing our separation anxiety lunch on Monday, right?" Phoebe asked Prue.  
"Wouldn't miss it," Prue smiled sadly, and she looked at her younger sister with deep and abiding affection. "I'm so glad you decided to stay," she said softly.  
Phoebe smiled shyly and returned to her burger.  
There was a knock at the door. Startled, Paige and Phoebe looked up to see Danny Kershaw and his wife Ellen standing at the open double doors that led into the apartment.  
"Danny!" Phoebe got up quickly to greet him. "Hey! Good to see you." She gave the balding, pudgy detective a quick hug.  
"Hey, Phoebe." He returned the greeting warmly. "Don't believe you've met my wife, Ellen. Ellen, this is Phoebe Halliwell."  
"Pleased to meet you." Phoebe gave Ellen a quick hug as well. "Please, come in. We're just having lunch, but you're welcome to join us."  
"Thanks. We just stopped in for a minute. Hey, you know your elevator only has one button? And it doesn't go all the way to the top floor."  
Phoebe laughed. "Hope you didn't have any trouble finding us."  
"Nah. I saw the stairwell entrance propped open and I figured it out. I'm an inspector, you know." He grinned. "Hey, Morris. Prue. Boys," he said by way of collective greeting.  
"Kershaw? What are you doing here?" Darryl asked, getting ready to leave his lunch behind.  
"I'm not here on business," Kershaw held his hands up. "Siddown, siddown. Finish your meal. Ellen and I just stopped by to give the girls a little housewarming gift."  
"Danny, I don't think you've met my other sister," Phoebe said. "Paige, this is Danny and Ellen Kershaw; Danny, Ellen, this is my youngest sister, Paige Matthews."  
"Hi," Paige got to her feet to make a proper greeting.  
"Danny works with Darryl," Phoebe explained.  
"Oh! Nice to meet you both," Paige smiled, exchanging quick hugs with each of them.  
"You got a nice place here," Kershaw nodded approvingly, looking around. "And the whole floor to yourself? Sweet deal."  
"I love the skylights," added Ellen.  
"Thanks. We were lucky to find this place," Phoebe grinned.  
"We brought you a little something," Kershaw said, handing Phoebe a small gift box tied with a simple red ribbon.  
"Oh, Danny, Ellen, that's sweet of you," Phoebe exclaimed. "You really didn't need to do that."  
"Just a little welcome to the neighborhood gesture," Kershaw huffed. "We picked up one of those amulets in the trinket shops. Supposed to bring good luck to the house, or some such."  
"It's not a trinket, Daniel," Ellen chided her husband gently.  
"Can we open it now?" Paige asked.  
"Sure, sure."  
Phoebe handed the small package to her sister. Paige pulled off the ribbon off the box, and removed the lid. She made a little squeal of delight.  
"Oh, wow!"  
She pulled the talisman free from the soft cotton lining inside the box. It consisted of two small but heavy pieces of polished jade, each with a few simple cuts to resemble stylized roaring lions, suspended together on a thick braided rope.  
"I don't know anything about Taoist sorcery," Kershaw admitted. "But I'm told these little guys will protect the house and keep out the bad spirits or whatever."  
"Actually, Danny, they will do exactly that," Paige smiled. "They're guardian fu dogs. These will be very helpful, especially during Hungry Ghost Month."  
"Hungry Ghost month?" Phoebe gave her sister a bemused look.  
"It's in August, Pheeble." Impulsively, Paige gave each of the Kershaws a quick hug. "Thank you, you guys. That was really thoughtful."  
"Yes, thank you," added Phoebe.  
"Well, it was either this, or the five Buddhist firecrackers," Kershaw chuckled. "This seemed a little less . . . noisy." His smile faded only slightly. "I have to fess up, though. I didn't just stop by to welcome you to Chinatown. I could use your help. Witchy help."  
"Sure, Danny, anything we can do," Phoebe nodded.  
"This can keep for a day or two, until you ladies get settled," Kershaw assured them. "But if you wouldn't mind dropping by the station one night this week . . . ?"  
"Kershaw, are you recruiting my future sisters-in-law?" Darryl asked, only half-jokingly.  
"Just looking for a consultant," Kershaw assured him.  
"Is this for a homicide case?"  
"No, thankfully. But it's something way beyond me. I need someone . . . who can talk to a ghost."  
Paige and Phoebe exchanged dubious glances.  
"I hope you're not about to ask us to perform an exorcism, Danny," Phoebe said apprehensively.  
"No, no, nothing like that," Kershaw shook his head. "It's a domestic dispute, involving an arranged marriage."  
Phoebe frowned in puzzlement. "Sorry. I'm not following."  
"Don't feel bad. Neither am I," Kershaw sighed. "The marriage is gonna be between two dead people."  
"A ghost marriage?" Paige asked incredulously.  
"Yup."  
"So, what's the problem?" inquired Phoebe.  
"The lady ghost doesn't want to get married - apparently."

* * *

"No, no, NO, Pheeble," Paige exclaimed vehemently. "It's ghosts. I'm not doing it. Count me out!"  
After lunch, and Kershaw's departure, Phoebe and Paige had sequestered themselves in the relative privacy of Phoebe's bedroom for a quick discussion.  
"Sweetie, we're not being asked to vanquish a ghost, or even fight one," Phoebe protested. "Just talk to one."  
"Were you not there last week? When all three of us nearly got ourselves cut to shreds by your spectral spooky-ass other self?" Paige demanded. "How can you even be thinking about doing this?"  
"Paige, I know what happened with Demon Phoebe was terrible, but - "  
"No buts, Pheeble. I mean it. I'm out."  
Phoebe made a resigned gesture. "Fine. You don't want to help, and I can't make you. I'll stop by Danny's office on Monday, and do what I can on my own."  
Paige fixed her sister with an aggrieved look. "I don't understand," she said quietly. "I don't understand how you can just put yourself in harm's way all the time."  
"Sweetie, I told you. Most ghosts are innocents, in need of saving. They're lost souls. They rarely do any real harm." She sighed sadly. "Except when they're me, that is."  
"That wasn't your fault, Phoebe."  
"Sure felt like it," Phoebe muttered.  
Abruptly, Phoebe sat down heavily on her bare mattress, the picture of despondency. Paige regarded her sister with sympathy for a moment, then sat on the edge of the bed next to her.  
"Look, we all agreed to bring down the magical barrier," she said quietly. "We all thought it was the right thing to do."  
"It was. Just not for us."  
"That's not what's really bothering you though, is it?" Paige gave Phoebe's hand a gentle squeeze. "You're still feeling guilty that you left Prue and Piper, to stay with us."  
Phoebe didn't answer, but her ragged, sorrowful sigh assured Paige she was right.  
"You're not responsible for that, Phoebe," Paige said with conviction. "Demon Phoebe put you in that position because she wanted to hurt you. Well, mission accomplished. She hurt all of us," she declared somberly. "But the way we beat her is, we find a way to get that damn portal open, and then we can go see our sisters any time we want. Right?"  
Involuntarily, Phoebe shuddered. "I just don't understand - she was ME. And I can't for the life of me figure out, how did she get that way? How did she become so full of hate, that all she wanted to do was hurt other people and make them suffer? What could have happened to her, to turn her into a monster like that?" She shook her head vigorously. "I can't imagine ever being like that. No matter how bad a life I might have had."  
"Well, first off, she wasn't you, you're you," Paige declared. "And you'll never be what she was."  
"I wish I could believe that."  
"Look. I don't know what kind of life Demon Phoebe had as a kid. Maybe she had a nasty childhood, maybe she was just rotten to begin with. I do know, even Prue doesn't take the blame for her turning out the way she did, and Prue blames herself for everything."  
"That's true," Phoebe admitted.  
"And besides, Pheeble . . . you cry when somebody steps on a bug. And there's no way that person turns into devil person. It's just not possible."  
Phoebe gave her sister a tearful smile. "I love you, Paige."  
Henry knocked at the side of the doorframe. "Hey, ladies," he said, poking his head inside, "We've got the dinette up here, where do you want it?"  
He saw the sisters clasping hands and his expression sobered.  
"Everything all right in here?" he asked with concern.  
"Everything's just cherry, baby, we'll be right out," Paige assured him with a sweet smile, and as Henry disappeared again, Paige gave her sister a tight hug.  
"Let's talk about this tomorrow," she suggested. "Right now, we've got a house full of people, furniture to move, boxes to fling - "  
"One crisis at a time," Phoebe agreed, discreetly wiping away a traitorous tear with the palm of her hand. "You wouldn't mind it if Prue and Darryl spent the night, would you?"  
"I'd love it if they did."  
"Good. Let's go put the thumbscrews on 'em."

The Morrises demurred over spending the very first night in the new apartment with Phoebe and Paige, but Prue countered with an offer of family dinner at her apartment on Sunday afternoon, to which everyone agreed. The rest of the day was a jumble of furniture, boxes, clothes, books and sundry household items, as the sisters tried to get their new home into shape. It was well past eight o'clock when they reluctantly agreed to stop for the night.  
Phoebe was up shortly after sunrise on Sunday morning, and she quickly shrugged herself into sweat pants, jog bra and cross trainers, and walked into the kitchen to find Paige already up and dressed, putting fresh coffee grounds into the brewer.  
"Hey! You're up early," Paige greeted her. "Did you sleep?"  
"Not much," Phoebe admitted.  
Paige made a little cringe of embarrassment. "Henry and I didn't keep you awake, did we?"  
"Never heard you guys," Phoebe said honestly. "No, it's just, first night in a new place, and feeling a little out of sorts. That's all."  
Phoebe noted with concern that Paige was moving rather stiffly.  
"Your back still bothering you?" she asked.  
"A little bit, yeah," Paige admitted.  
"You weren't moving any boxes yesterday, were you?"  
Paige made a face. "I was a good girl. I behaved myself. It's just - when we were dealing with Demon Phoebe last week, I got into a fight with her, a proper fight, when you weren't there - and she kicked my ass. Wrenched my back pretty good."  
"Oh, sweetie," Phoebe exclaimed with dismay. "Why didn't you say something? Why didn't you tell me?"  
"I'm okay, Pheeble, really. Henry is gonna help me with some yoga stretching exercises later. I'll be fine." She smiled grimly. "But, there is something weird I don't understand."  
"What's that?"  
"When I got into my fight with Phoebe, she cut my face. And I don't mean she scratched me. She cut me wide open. Sliced my cheek to ribbons. I had blood all over my shirt, and I must have swallowed another gallon." She shuddered involuntarily, remembering. "But my cheek's almost completely healed now. Even the tiger stripes are mostly gone. I don't get how I can still barely walk a week later, but there's not a scratch on my face. It's weird."  
"Maybe Rex did something when he rescued you?"  
"I asked him. He said he didn't know anything about it. He claimed he only saw light scratches on my face."  
"Maybe he healed you? And didn't want to admit to anything?"  
"A demon with a healing power? That would be a first."  
"Actually, one of Yaozu's colleagues was a healer," Phoebe offered, but as Paige made a dour face at her sister, she added quickly, "And you don't care about that. Right."  
"Well, it sure wasn't me. I can't heal myself, otherwise, I would've fixed my back months ago. I don't know. Just more random weirdness I can't explain. Just another freaky day being a witch." She smiled ruefully. "Anyway. Enough with the weird stuff. You want some coffee?"  
"Thanks. I'm gonna head out for a quick run first, check out the new neighborhood." Phoebe started some desultory leg stretches. "Apart from the corner grocery and the dim sum shop, I have no idea what else is around here."  
"What else do we need?" Paige grinned.  
"Is Henry still here?"  
"Yeah. He's in the bath. He's going to hang around this morning, and install the shower head and shower curtains for us. Oh, and Prue left us some fresh apple muffins for breggfirst."  
"Great!" Phoebe looked at her sister with concern. "You're sure you're okay?"  
"I am absolutely one hundred percent okay, Pheeble, I promise," she declared, holding up one hand as if in solemn vow. "All is perfect and getting better by the minute."  
Phoebe grinned at Paige's emphatic reply. "Okay, then. I'll see you guys in a little while," she said, heading for the door.  
"Don't get kidnapped by demons this time," Paige called after her.

Phoebe took the stairwell down to the ground floor instead of the elevator, to help limber up for her run. She passed through the small, nondescript lobby and headed outside. The air was clear and cold, the last of the rain having passed off after midnight. After a moment's consideration, Phoebe headed south, as the street was mostly uphill; she was hoping to find a path with only downhill slopes for the last half of her run.  
She started off at a slow pace, letting her body warm up to the exertion. As the blocks went by, the residential buildings gave way to a small marketplace, made up of various small shops and restaurants. Fresh calamari were lined up on a table by a seafood stall. Another market, just opening for the day, had baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables invitingly laid out, and a small bakery with loaves of sourdough bread, the sharp tang of which made Phoebe's mouth water. She made note of it all, smiled and waved at the shopkeepers as she jogged past, and began her run in earnest.  
At the crest of the hill, Phoebe could see down into the main section of Chinatown proper, but she decided to stick to her immediate neighborhood for now. She crossed one block east and began to head back in the general direction of home. By this time she was sweating profusely, and her chest was heaving as she drew in one deep breath after another.  
She was halfway home when she passed by the fire station. She slowed her run as she approached. The hook and ladder truck was parked half-in, half-out of its bay, and an attractive young Chinese man, dressed in t-shirt, gym shorts and sneakers was laying across a weight bench that had been dragged out onto the driveway, and he was carefully lifting an impressively heavy set of barbells. He placed the weights back onto the rack as Phoebe approached, and gave her a friendly smile. Phoebe felt something flutter inside her heart. Not entirely knowing why, she came up to a halt in front of the fire station.  
"Good morning," the young man said politely. Like Phoebe, he was sweating profusely from exertion, and he almost shyly wiped his face off as she approached. Phoebe returned the smile, just as shyly, suddenly acutely aware that she was barely dressed and literally dripping with perspiration.  
"Do you need something?" The young man was muscular, not bulked up like a bodybuilder, but he seemed to have no body fat at all; and his muscle definition was sharp as any Phoebe had seen recently, and she realized belatedly that she was staring at him with undisguised lust. Her embarrassment was only slightly lessened by the fact the man was regarding her with open admiration as well.  
"Hi," Phoebe said, more an exhalation of breath than an actual greeting. "No. No, I don't really need anything. Just - passing by. I'm Phoebe - Phoebe Halliwell. I, uhh, just moved into the neighborhood."  
"Kai-liang Chou," he smiled easily, offering his hand. "Pleased to meet you. And I'm new to the neighborhood, too."  
"Kaili - " Phoebe stumbled over the name. At the moment, it was all she could do to remember her own. She took his hand, and felt her IQ drop about forty points from the sensation.  
"Call me Kai," he grinned. "Everyone else does."  
After hesitating a moment, he reached into a cooler sitting just behind the weight bench, took out a water bottle, and offered it to Phoebe.  
Phoebe decided there was nothing she wanted more than to accept a water bottle from this beautiful young man. She took the bottle gratefully, and as their hands brushed, she felt a little electric thrill run through her.  
"So - you're a fireman," Phoebe said with a nervous laugh. Inwardly, she cringed to herself: _Of course he's a fireman, you moron, he's just sitting in front of the fire station out of coincidence._  
"When there's a fire, I am," he grinned.  
"Right, of course, duh." Phoebe suddenly felt the need to bring her arms up in front of her, to cover her soaked top and sweat-slick stomach as best she could. She drank from the water bottle, grateful that the action made her gesture seem a little more natural.  
"I just transferred up here from San Diego, three weeks ago," Kai offered, apparently aware that Phoebe was feeling acutely self-conscious and wanting to put her at her ease. "I'm still trying to learn my way around the neighborhood."  
"Oh? You know more than I do, then," Phoebe admitted. "I only moved in yesterday. I live - " she paused for a moment, to regain her bearings. "About four blocks north of here, one street over." She pointed to the general area.  
"Oh, okay, you're just on the edge of that big warehouse district."  
"Yeah, that's right," Phoebe nodded. "In fact, I think our apartment building was probably a warehouse to begin with."  
"A lot of them around here were."  
"So, do you actually live here, at the fire station?" Phoebe asked, as casually as she could.  
"About half the time," Kai grinned. "We have crews that rotate in shifts. I do have an apartment about two blocks east of here - "  
"With your girlfriend?" Phoebe asked the question before she could stop herself.  
Kai didn't seem to be offended in the least. "It's a three bedroom I'm sharing with two other members of the crew. No girlfriend yet, I'm still new in town." He smiled. "But this is my last day on shift this week, so here I am."  
"And apparently the only fireman on call," Phoebe grinned.  
Kai made a face. "The rest of the crew is about two blocks up, with the heavy rescue. We have a filling station up there."  
Phoebe frowned. "Heavy rescue?"  
"The big equipment truck. Basically our toolbox on wheels."  
"Oh! I thought you meant everyone was out on a call except you - " Phoebe wondered if her face could turn any more scarlet.  
"It's all right," Kai laughed easily. "Actually, if it stays quiet today, we'll do some maintenance of the tiller - " he jerked his thumb in the direction of the enormous hook and ladder vehicle - "And give it a bath, too."  
"Oh, good, good, you should have a clean engine - " Phoebe grimaced inwardly. _God, Phoebe, what is WRONG with you?_ she asked herself.  
"Well, I should probably be heading home," Phoebe said, now completely flustered, "My, uhh, sister will be waiting for me. I live with my sister. My sister Paige. Yeah. Right. Uhh. Okay. I'm going to go now. So, maybe I'll see you around then?" Phoebe hoped the question didn't sound as desperate to the young man as it sounded to her.  
"I hope so," he said with the sincerest smile, and Phoebe felt distinctly light-headed.  
Inwardly, Phoebe was excoriating herself mercilessly. _Oh, great, now he knows for sure you're a complete moron. And the real reason you have to go home right this minute is, if you don't, you're going to rip all his clothes off right here on this driveway, and get yourself arrested for public indecency._  
"Well, it was very nice to meet you, Phoebe Halliwell. I hope I'll see you again sometime."  
"You will," Phoebe promised, vowing to herself to make this street part of her daily run. "Thanks, for the water bottle."  
"You're quite welcome. Enjoy your Sunday."  
"Yeah, you too!"  
Phoebe began to sprint away, realizing there wasn't a hole anywhere big enough to hide herself and her embarrassment in.

Several minutes later, Phoebe finally made it up the stairs into the foyer that led to her apartment. She took the small towel that she had placed on the end-table just to the left of the double doors, and started to wipe herself down. The jade guardians were already hanging above the door frame, silently roaring in approval, and Phoebe grinned at them as she entered. Paige was perched on one of the barstools at the kitchen island, finishing off the remains of a scrambled egg and an apple muffin. She looked up as Phoebe came in.  
"Where have you been?" she asked. "I was starting to get worried you'd been scooped up by demons or aliens - again."  
"Just - checking out the neighborhood," Phoebe answered, still a little breathless from her run. She went into the kitchen nook, dropped the empty water bottle into the recycle bin and pulled a water jug from the refrigerator. She filled a glass, and gulped it down quickly.  
"So? Anything interesting?" Paige asked.  
"Actually, yeah," Phoebe nodded. "Great little market about six blocks up from here. All fresh produce and sourdough bread. Lots of shops for us to go looking through, too."  
Something about Phoebe's demeanor made Paige suspicious. Her sister was displaying an agitation that went beyond mere physical exertion. She arched an eyebrow playfully. "I know that look," she chided teasingly. "You're having naughty thoughts, Pheeble."  
"I'm having really naughty thoughts," Phoebe admitted wholeheartedly.  
"Well, don't keep me in suspense," Paige demanded. "Spill, spill!"  
"I think - I may have just found myself a fireman," Phoebe giggled, still trying to get her breath back.  
Paige made a squeal of delight. "Details! I want details!"  
"Shower first," Phoebe pleaded, holding up her hands in a surrendering gesture.  
"A nice cold shower?" Paige grinned.  
"A VERY cold shower," Phoebe grinned back.  
Phoebe instead settled for a near steambath, grateful that Henry had managed to finish installing both the new shower fixture and shower curtains while she was out. After dressing and returning to the kitchen, she found Paige and Henry twined in an intimate caress. Looking up, Henry noticed Phoebe smiling at them, and he quickly changed his embrace to a simple hug. Paige looked at Henry in surprise, then turned slightly to see they had an audience.  
"Pheeble!" she exclaimed.  
"Hey, don't mind me," Phoebe grinned.  
"Sorry," Henry apologized. "I was just - "  
"Henry, let's set some rules of the house right now," Phoebe declared. "Number one, thanks for censoring yourself in the public space. Please continue doing that. And two - " her grin grew wider. "You never have to apologize for making my sister happy."  
"Oh, I'm happy," Paige assured her sister with a contented sigh.  
Henry and Paige shared a quick kiss.  
"I'm, ahh, going to go put the toolbox back down in the truck," he said to Paige, in an almost carnal murmur.  
"You can't leave without breggfirst," Paige insisted, kissing him again.  
"I will be right back," he promised, and then hoisted the toolbox and made for the door.  
Paige sighed again as the door closed behind him, and she turned to Phoebe. "Sorry about that," she said, a little sheepishly.  
"Hey, like I said," Phoebe waved off the apology. "I'm not offended. As long as the really X-rated stuff stays in your bedroom."  
She got a coffee mug out of the cabinet, and filled it from the urn under the coffee maker.  
"Speaking of X-rated stuff, tell me about your fireman," Paige pleaded, as she and Phoebe seated themselves at the dinette.  
Phoebe fished a large apple muffin out of the bowl at the center of the table, and inhaled the aroma appreciatively.  
"This is real magic," she sighed, pulling off the paper wrapper and taking a bite.  
"Come on, Pheeble, spill," Paige urged.  
Phoebe sighed and gave her sister a rueful look.  
"I don't know what happened to me this morning," she confessed finally.  
"What do you mean?"  
"I just kind of lost it in front of a complete stranger," Phoebe said, and Paige shook her head, half-frowning, half-smiling, not understanding.  
"When it comes to dating, I'm usually the one who makes the first move," Phoebe allowed. "If I see I guy I'm interested in, I just go right up and talk to him. No problem at all. And I'm not shy about asking for what I want, if I like him."  
"Yeah, so?"  
"So I met this guy today - and - I was absolutely tongue-tied. Really. I couldn't string two words together to save my life."  
"Sounds promising," Paige grinned.  
"Paige, I've never been like that with anyone," Phoebe protested. "No matter how nervous I might be feeling, I was always in control. Or at least, I felt like I was in control. But this time - this was different. I really felt like I might do something naughty enough to get myself arrested."  
Paige arched an eyebrow. "Come on, Pheeble, you've been distressingly celibate ever since I met you," she pointed out. "You must have so much lust bottled up inside you you're ready to explode. And frankly, it's way past time you did something about that."  
"But haven't you ever had that happen to you?" Phoebe asked. "You meet some good-looking guy, and all of a sudden, you're just - completely brain dead?"  
Paige leaned forward and gave her sister a wicked grin. "Maybe you're just thinking with the wrong brain," she declared with a giggle.

Sunday passed in a virtual blur for Phoebe and Paige, spending the remainder of their morning finishing up with the unpacking and organizing of their personal effects, and then heading over to Prue's apartment - with Henry still in tow - for a family dinner.  
After the meal, as the family gathered in the living room to talk about the events of the weekend, Phoebe was suddenly aware of a fierce joy washing over her: this was her family, she was home, surrounded by people she loved and who loved her - and for a moment, the purity of the sensation left her breathless. When it was time to leave, she fell into Prue's arms, and the two sisters hugged each other tightly, silently weeping.  
"Jeez, Pheeble," Paige sighed irritably. "You guys are seeing each other for separation anxiety lunch tomorrow. Get over it."  
"A little touch of the green eyed monster?" Henry Mitchell murmured in his lover's ear.  
"No!" Paige declared loudly, but then conceded the truth. "Well, yeah," she admitted. "Little bit."  
For the moment, Phoebe and Prue were aware of no one but each other.  
"I love you so much," Phoebe said to Prue, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I wouldn't even be alive right now, if it wasn't for you - "  
"Hush," Prue murmured, hugging Phoebe again. "You saved me too. Don't ever forget that. I love you, Phoebe Halliwell. My bright, beautiful, magical baby sister."  
"I never want to leave you."  
"Leaving's okay," Prue assured her. "As long as you always come back."  
After the sisters finally separated, Prue surprised Paige with a tearful hug of her own. "Don't think I would ever forget you," Prue declared, holding Paige tightly to her. "I am so glad, and so grateful, that I found you at last, Paige."  
"Oh!" Paige was completely taken aback by the unexpected show of affection, but after a moment, she returned the embrace willingly.  
"Just remember, without you, we couldn't be Charmed," Prue whispered in her sister's ear. "And Phoebe and I aren't a family without you. We'll always need you and we'll always love you. And I do love you, Paige Matthews. I love you very, very much."  
"Paige sandwich," Phoebe declared, hugging her sister from behind.  
And all trace of the green-eyed monster was gone. 

* * *

It was late Monday afternoon, and Phoebe had finished typing up the court transcripts she'd received for the day. She sighed heavily, staring at the now-empty inbox, knowing that by tomorrow it would be overflowing again; and she decided, almost gratefully, that it was time to tackle a different problem. She had just shrugged herself into her winter coat when Paige came up to her, already dressed to leave.  
"You off to see Danny?" she asked.  
"Yeah," Phoebe nodded. "I promised him I'd stop by, and I don't see any point in waiting."  
"Okay, then." Paige slipped her arm inside her sister's.  
"Wait - does this mean you changed your mind?" Phoebe asked hopefully, as they walked towards the exit together.  
Paige made a ruff of resignation. "Well, hell, Pheeble. You don't speak any Chinese, and I'm pretty sure your ghost doesn't speak any English. And God knows, somebody has to keep an eye on you. So, since I'm gonna get sucked into this stupid case whether I like it or not, we might as well get it over with."  
"I love you," Phoebe declared sincerely.  
"Don't go getting all mushy on me, Pheeble. Let's go meet your stupid ghost."  
"Everything's stupid to you, when you get mad, huh?"  
"I'm not mad, and you are stupid," Paige declared flatly.  
Phoebe couldn't help snorting with amusement. "Yeah, but I have great taste in siblings," she countered with a grin. "Come on, angry little sister, let's go protect the innocent."  
They left the office together, and a few minutes later, they arrived at the precinct house. Phoebe walked up to the desk sergeant and gave him her sweetest smile.  
"Phoebe Halliwell and Paige Matthews, to see Inspector Kershaw, please," she said politely.  
The sergeant grinned. "Of course, Miss Halliwell. He's expecting you. One moment, please." He handed two visitors' badges over and dialed Kershaw's desk. After a few moments, he put the receiver down. "He'll be right down."  
"Thank you," Phoebe smiled.  
Paige looked around her, not quite apprehensively. "So, this is where Darryl works?" she asked.  
"This is the place. His office is upstairs, though."  
"I've never been inside a police station before."  
"I've only been here one other time. It was when I first met Danny, in fact." She smiled reassuringly at her sister. "Prue knows this place pretty well. Her first husband, Andy, was an inspector in this precinct."  
"And Darryl and Andy used to work together?"  
"They did," Phoebe nodded. "Prue and Andy were childhood sweethearts. But they both had been friends with Darryl since before they got married, and Prue and Darryl started dating about a year after Andy died."  
"Doesn't that seem - a little weird?" Paige asked reluctantly.  
Phoebe shrugged. "I thought so, too, at first," she admitted. "But I have no place from which to judge Prue. She lost her whole family, Paige. Everybody except for Patience. I can't even begin to think how terrible that must have been for her." Phoebe couldn't quite suppress a shudder. "I don't know how she even gets out of bed every day. If that had happened to me, I don't think I'd ever get over it. Even if I had a husband or boyfriend who loved me."  
Their conversation was cut short, as Danny Kershaw bustled out into the lobby to greet them.  
"Hey, Phoebe, Paige," he greeted them with something very much like relief. "Thanks for coming."  
"It's our pleasure, Danny," Phoebe smiled warmly.  
"Come on back, and I'll fill you in."  
They walked down a narrow hallway, and took a squat, boxy elevator car to the second floor.  
"Sorry, you missed Darryl," Kershaw said, offering them both seats across from his desk. "He's already headed home."  
"It's all right, Danny," Phoebe smiled, taking one of the seats, and Paige followed suit. "So, tell us about this ghost marriage."  
"When I first heard about the case, I thought it was going to be about a grave robbing," Kershaw admitted. "That's usually the sort of thing that comes to us."  
"Grave robbing?" Paige asked, her eyes wide.  
"Can't have a ghost wedding without a corpse bride," Kershaw replied.  
"Oh, that's sick!" Paige shuddered with revulsion.  
Kershaw shrugged. "Can't argue that. But it turns out, that wasn't the case here. We have two families who had agreed upon a ceremony."  
He pulled a file from his desk drawer, and took out two large black and white photographs. Both were portrait shots of two attractive young people in their early twenties, one man, one woman. Phoebe picked up the first photograph.  
"Li-Shen Chang," Kershaw informed them. "Twenty-seven. Two younger brothers. Family lives in LA. Matriculated at Stanford, majoring in molecular biology. Only eight months away from getting his doctorate, when he died four years ago. Car accident."  
Kershaw pushed the other photograph over to Paige with a stubby finger. "Kya Ling. Twenty-three. Only child. Family lives here in Chinatown. Also went to Stanford, undergraduate, in chemical engineering. Died just over a year ago. And died here, in San Francisco. Brain cancer."  
"God. That's sad," Paige said sincerely.  
"Yeah," Kershaw agreed. "So here we have two young kids, best and brightest, both taken before their time. The families met through a Taoist temple, liked each other, and quickly arranged a wedding between their dead kids. Are either of you familiar with the practice of ghost marriage?"  
"Not really," Phoebe admitted. "I mean, I know it's an accepted custom. It's usually performed so that an unmarried daughter has someone to care for her after death, or so that a younger brother still living doesn't get married before the deceased elder brother does. That's about all I know about it, though."  
"Well, you knew more than me," Kershaw ruffed. "Anyways. Both families wanted to go through with this. But then the father of the girl starts making complaints that he's seeing his kid's ghost, and that she - the dead daughter - doesn't want to go through with it."  
Kershaw made a face. "The groom's family gets pissed. They think Ling elder is trying to back out of the deal. I probably would be thinking the same, I suppose. But then, things start happening at the Ling residence - enough for three domestic disturbance calls within a month. The most recent one, Mama Ling is preparing an effigy bride, complete with one of the dresses her daughter used to wear when she was alive - and she swears in affidavit that the thing just burst into flame while she was doing the setup. Gutted one whole room of their apartment, and if it hadn't been for some quick-acting neighbors, the fire could have burnt the whole building down. The landlord, who isn't impressed by ghost stories, is trying to get them evicted before something else happens."  
"Good grief, Danny."  
Kershaw sighed. "Honestly? I don't think we're dealing with a ghost here. But I've seen stranger," he nodded at Phoebe, "So I want to approach this investigation in good faith. They say there's a ghost and I want to call 'em on it. I figure you two ladies can meet the family, inspect the apartment and tell me for sure in about two minutes if there's anything straight up supernatural going on."  
"We'll be happy to help, Danny."  
"Thank you. Both of you," Kershaw said with obvious relief. "I'm not gonna make you go alone, though. I'll be with you."  
"When and where do you need us to be?" Paige asked.  
"Well, I know you both have day jobs, so I thought I'd call the family and try to arrange a meeting in the early evening, maybe even tonight, if you and they are both up for it."  
Phoebe glanced at Paige, and her younger sister nodded her assent.  
"Sure, that sounds fine."  
"Great." Kershaw leaned forward in his chair.  
"Listen, girls," he said quietly, "I'm not a social worker. I'm kinda out of my depth here. But let's assume for sake of argument, there really is a ghost bride who's throwing a temper tantrum about her wedding. Arranged marriages are an accepted custom in this culture. The parents set it up, and the sons and daughters are expected to accept the match. And that still holds true, whether the kids are alive or dead. But I can't book a ghost for disorderly conduct."  
"So you ARE looking for an exorcism," Paige declared.  
"I don't know what I'm looking for," Kershaw grunted in exasperation. "An end to the disturbances, and some assurance I haven't gone completely off the deep end, I guess."  
"We'll do what we can, Danny," Phoebe promised.  
The Ling family agreed to a visit that very evening, so Kershaw took the sisters with him to the parking garage, offering them seats in his battered blue sedan. After a short ride a few blocks away, they found themselves standing outside a nondescript door in a dimly lit hallway of an older but well-kept apartment building. Phoebe looked up at the ceiling, and noticed some soot stains from the recent fire still remaining. Kershaw knocked at the door, and a middle-aged Chinese man opened the door and glared at them suspiciously.  
"Inspector Kershaw," he greeted the detective tersely.  
"Mr. Ling," Kershaw nodded in response. "Thanks for making time to see us this evening. May I present, Miss Phoebe Halliwell, and her sister, Paige Matthews."  
Ling narrowed his eyes disapprovingly at the women.  
"They are specialists in occult matters," Kershaw explained. "I thought they might be able to help us get to the bottom of this."  
"There is nothing to be explained," Ling said flatly. "My daughter has made her wishes known."  
Phoebe frowned. She knew suddenly that the man was lying - but why was not yet clear.  
"That may be," Kershaw replied mildly. "But we're here tonight to investigate the fire."  
"With respect, Inspector, the fire marshals have already completed that inspection, and made their report to the authorities, including the police."  
"Inspector Kershaw," Mrs. Ling interrupted, coming to the door and gently drawing her husband's hand away from the doorknob. "Won't you please come in."  
"Thank you," Kershaw inclined his head politely.  
The door closed for a moment, to allow the chain to be pulled back. Paige glanced apprehensively at her sister.  
"He's unhappy because we're not Chinese, and because we're women," she whispered to Phoebe.  
"There's that," Phoebe admitted. "But mostly, he's afraid."  
"Afraid? Of what?" Paige frowned. "The ghost?"  
Phoebe shrugged. "Let's find out."  
The door opened, and moments later, Kershaw, Phoebe and Paige stepped inside the apartment. There was still discoloration on the walls from smoke, more noticeable nearer the ceiling, but otherwise the living area seemed undamaged. The Lings regarded the newcomers apprehensively - but mostly what Phoebe felt from them was a deep, abiding grief.  
"Mr. Ling, Mrs. Ling," Phoebe smiled cordially. "Thank you for being so gracious in allowing us to assist Inspector Kershaw. We're very sorry for your loss. We'll try to complete this inspection as quickly as we can."  
Phoebe's demeanor was so earnest that Ling's expression softened. "Thank you, Miss Halliwell," he said quietly.  
"We'd like to talk with each of you, briefly," Phoebe continued. "But if we may, we'd like to begin by seeing the room where the fire started."  
"Certainly." Mrs. Ling managed the faintest of smiles. "This way."  
Kershaw made to follow, but Phoebe stopped him.  
"Let Paige and me check out the room ourselves, please, Danny," she murmured.  
Kershaw was bemused but didn't object. "If that's what you'd like," he said mildly.  
"Is it safe?" Paige asked, uncertainly.  
"The fire officials confirmed there's no structural damage," Kershaw answered. "You're not going to fall through the floor or anything, if that's what you're worried about."  
He fished inside the wide pocket of his coat, and took out two sets of latex gloves and coverings for their shoes. "I know forensics has already cleared the site," he explained, handing them over to Phoebe and Paige, "But it's best you learn procedure. If nothing else, it will keep you from ruining your shoes."  
"Thanks, Danny."  
The sisters quickly slipped the protective coverings over their shoes, then pulled on the gloves.  
"Now we're crime scene investigators," Paige grinned at Phoebe, as they opened the door to the spare bedroom.  
"Yeah, because anyone wearing latex gloves is automatically qualified to investigate a crime scene," Phoebe retorted dryly. "Come on, Inspector Matthews."  
They stepped inside the room, and Phoebe felt along the wall for the light switch, and flipped it on. She carefully closed the door behind them.  
"How long did you say since the daughter died?" Paige asked, keeping her voice low.  
"It's been just over a year."  
"They're acting like it just happened yesterday."  
"Yeah, I noticed that too," Phoebe agreed somberly.  
The room had been emptied of any contents, and it was obvious that someone from the management company had already started replacing the drywall, although most of the flooring was still original, and while it had been carefully cleaned, the scorch marks from the fire were visible everywhere. Phoebe knelt down to examine the burn patterns.  
"See anything?" Paige asked.  
Phoebe frowned in puzzlement. "That's not right," she murmured, half to herself.  
"What is it?"  
"Look at these burn markings," Phoebe pointed to the scorch marks. "They weren't caused by a magical fire. In fact, there's no residual magical energy anywhere in this room."  
"Meaning, no ghost caused it?" Paige squatted down, next to Phoebe. "But that would have to mean that - "  
"Mister Ling set the fire," Phoebe said grimly.  
"Are you having a premonition, or are you just guessing?"  
"I'm not guessing. He set the fire. And he's probably responsible for the other disturbances, too. The question is - why?"  
"And why would he lie about it?" Paige added.  
"He's certainly lying about seeing his daughter," Phoebe said, standing up again.  
"What, so there isn't any ghost?" Paige asked, also rising to her feet.  
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," said a voice.  
The sisters turned, and standing behind them was a young Chinese girl about twenty-three years of age, with long dark hair, wearing a simple white gown with a pleated belt - and the burn marks on the wall behind her were clearly visible through her clothing.  
Startled, Paige clutched at Phoebe's arm. Phoebe gave her sister's hand a comforting squeeze.  
"Hello," Phoebe said politely. "You must be Kya."  
The girl smiled sadly and nodded.  
"I'm Phoebe Halliwell. This is my sister Paige," Phoebe made introductions. "We're here to help."  
"Thanks. I just wish there was something you could do."  
"Your father says you're objecting to the marriage he's arranged for you."  
Kya shook her head. "I have no objection. I want very much to marry Li-Shen. It is my father who objects."  
Phoebe and Paige exchanged a puzzled glance.  
"I don't get it," Paige said, baffled. "He helps to arrange the marriage, and now he's trying to prevent it? Why?"  
"Why are you showing yourself to us, Kya?" Phoebe asked gently. "Because you haven't been showing yourself to your family."  
Kya lowered her head. "No, I haven't," she admitted finally.  
Seeing Paige's bewildered expression, Phoebe explained, "This is the first time Kya has been up here since she died. There's absolutely no trace of her soul passing through this space any time recently."  
"I don't understand," Paige frowned. For the first time, she addressed Kya directly. "Don't you miss your family? Don't you want to see them?"  
"Of course I do," Kya answered. "But - I can't."  
"But why not?" Paige asked, and her question was almost anguished.  
"Paige." Phoebe put her hand on Paige's arm. "Why are you speaking to us?" she asked Kya again.  
"Because I know, as witches, you have the power to let me be seen by others."  
"And you want us to make you visible to your family?" Paige guessed. "So you can say goodbye?"  
"No." Kya shook her head tearfully. "I came here to ask you not to."  
"Kya, why don't you tell us what you know, and we'll see what we can do to help you," Phoebe suggested.  
Kya spread her hands helplessly. "My father doesn't disapprove of the marriage. Not really," she said. "It's just - he doesn't want to let me go."  
"I know," Phoebe nodded sadly. "Both your mother and father miss you very much."  
"But the marriage will save me," Kya added quickly. "I've met my intended. He's a wonderful man. A marvelous choice. I couldn't have asked for better."  
"Well, maybe if your parents knew that, it would make it easier for them to go ahead with the ceremony," Paige suggested.  
Kya shook her head, her face wet with spectral tears. "If my father could see me, speak to me, he would never be able to let me go again," she said. "Grief is a thorn in my father's heart. It is withering his spirit. It's not just me in danger of not moving on. My mother misses me, but she's strong. My father - if something isn't done, he won't have the strength to move on to his next life. His soul will remain trapped here, alone. Help him. Help us. Please," she wept.  
"Kya, I think I know something of your father's spirit," Phoebe said quietly. "Part of my gift is to be able to see into people's hearts. You're right, he shouldn't see you. But if you trust me, I think Paige and I can persuade him to let your marriage go ahead - with your help."  
Kya looked at them both hopefully, blinking back tears. "What do you want me to do?" she asked.

A few minutes later, Phoebe and Paige returned to the living room. Kershaw and the Lings looked up expectantly. Unseen by anyone else, Kya also entered, and sat on the couch next to her parents. Paige found she had to bite her lip.  
"Any joy?" Kershaw asked hopefully.  
"I think we can help, Danny," Phoebe nodded somberly. She managed a quiet smile.  
"Mr. Ling, Mrs. Ling, with your consent, my sister and I would like to cast a spell. It's nothing dangerous," she added quickly. "We believe by doing so, we can put an end to the disruptions that have been troubling you."  
The Lings traded uneasy glances with each other, and Phoebe nodded to herself in her thoughts. Both were only too well aware of the real source of the "disturbances". Mr. Ling regarded Phoebe carefully.  
"Does this mean, then, that - "  
"Mr. Ling. Please. Have I your consent?"  
Again, Phoebe's demeanor was so earnest that Ling was caught off-guard. Slowly, he nodded his head.  
Phoebe turned to Paige and smiled. "Over to you, sister."  
Paige nodded, took in a deep breath, and then raised her arms out in front of her. She began a series of slow, delicate signings. The Lings looked on, puzzled. Phoebe nodded to Kya.  
Kershaw looked over to the same spot where Phoebe was looking, but saw nothing. He frowned.  
Kya hesitantly reached over, and placed her own hand over her father's. The elder Ling stiffened but otherwise didn't move. Kya leaned in and kissed his cheek, and it obvious that the man felt it. His mouth opened in surprise but he said nothing.  
"You really did it," Kya smiled tearfully at Paige. "He can feel me. He knows I'm here."  
Kya next crossed over to where her mother sat, and did the same for her. Mrs. Ling closed her eyes, brought her hand to her cheek, and silent tears began to stream down her face.  
"Mr. Ling, Mrs. Ling," Paige spoke softly in Cantonese, "Your daughter Kya graciously asks that you bless her marriage, and let her spirit be joined with Li-Shen."  
"That - that was no trick," Ling said numbly. "That was her. That was Kya. How - how did you do that?"  
"It's not a trick, Mr. Ling. Your daughter's spirit is still on Earth," Phoebe said quietly. "But her spirit will be forced to stay here on Earth forever, without your blessing for her marriage."  
"Then - then she knows that I -"  
"She only wants you to know this marriage will make her very happy."  
"She loves you both very much," Paige added. "But she can't move on, until she knows you are both going to be okay."  
The Lings stared at each other, dumbfounded and awestruck.  
"You felt her presence," Paige pushed gently, now speaking in Cantonese. "She has nothing but love and forgiveness in her heart, for both of you."  
Mr. Ling's eyes filled with fresh tears. "I never meant to harm my child," he said in a choked voice. "I never meant to deny her the blessings of Tian."  
"No harm has been done - yet," Phoebe cautioned gently. "And I know you only want what's best for Kya. I think it's safe for us to say that there will no further objections to your daughter's marriage, am I right?"  
Ling looked at Phoebe long and hard. Both of them knew that the other was aware of Ling's true involvement in the matter - and that Phoebe had no intention of bringing those misdeeds to light. Ling shook his head emphatically. "No," he said. He looked at the sisters almost pleadingly. "I just want her to know - how much we both love her."  
"She knows," Paige said in Cantonese.  
Kya smiled gratefully at Phoebe and Paige, her own face still wet with tears. She silently mouthed the words, "Thank you," then she slowly faded, and vanished from sight. The elder Ling seemed to realize his daughter's passing, even if he couldn't witness it.  
"She's really gone," he said brokenly. "My little girl is gone."  
The Lings sat together, bowed their heads until their foreheads touched, and let their mutual grief wash over them.

A few minutes later, Paige stepped out into the street from the apartment building. She looked up into the night sky, not really seeing anything. She drew in several deep breaths, almost grateful for the chill in the night air that made her lungs burn. Tears began to leak from her eyes. A hand touched her arm.  
"Hey," Phoebe said quietly. "You okay?"  
"Yeah," Paige quickly wiped her tears away. "Yeah, I'm good. I - that was intense."  
"A little bit," Phoebe agreed, slipping her arm inside her sister's and giving her a quick hug.  
"Phoebe - we did the right thing, didn't we?" Paige asked.  
"I think so," Phoebe nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah."  
A few moments later, Kershaw stepped from the lobby and joined them on the street.  
"Is it even worth my while, to ask what happened in there?" he asked with a somber smile.  
"It's probably best not to ask," Phoebe agreed with a slight grin. "But I think we were able to accomplish what you wanted, Danny. There will be no more disturbances. And no, you haven't gone off the deep end."  
"That's something, at least," the detective decided, buttoning up his coat against the chill. "But I will try one softball."  
"Sure, go ahead."  
"Was there a ghost, or wasn't there?"  
Phoebe smiled sadly. "What was haunting the Lings was no ghost," she said honestly. "But - we needed help from a ghost, to make them see that."  
Kershaw shook his head ruefully. "I hadda ask," he sighed.  
"Is Mr. Ling going to have to go to jail?" Paige asked.  
"If the result of the fire inspector's report comes back as I think it will, we'll have to bring him in to take another statement," Kershaw answered. "But I think we'll be able to confirm it was just an accident, and as long as the apartment manager doesn't press any charges, the matter should end there. I'll speak to the management company in the morning."  
"Thank you, Danny."  
"Don't thank me," Kershaw said sternly, and he was utterly serious. "I'm not in the habit of commuting felonies."  
"I think it will work out just as you said," Phoebe smiled sadly. "You can trust the witch who can see the future. You're doing the right thing."  
Kershaw pulled a pipe from out of his coat pocket.  
"Do you girls mind if I have a three minute puff before we pile back in the car?" he asked. "Ellen can't stand it when I smoke."  
"We're good, Danny," Phoebe grinned.  
"But maybe you should listen to your wife," Paige added.  
"Hey, I've cut down a lot," Kershaw protested, as he filled the pipe with sweet tobacco and lit it. "I used to puff like a chimney. I'm down to about twice a week, now. Hoping I can stop altogether soon."  
He puffed contentedly while the sisters hugged each other for warmth.  
"You know," he said, after a time, "We could really use you girls in our office. And I don't mean just as consultants."  
"Looking to recruit us, Danny?" Phoebe grinned.  
"Yeah, I think maybe I am," Kershaw nodded. "I've seen what your sister can do. And now I know you guys are no slouches either. And believe me, there's no end to the amount of good you guys could do, if you were officially liaisoned with the force."  
"Hey, I already have a job," Paige assured him. "Thanks just the same."  
Kershaw nodded and smiled, as if he expected that answer. "Can't tempt you, huh?"  
"Not me," said Paige quietly. "But . . . I think I know someone who could be tempted."  
She turned and grinned at her sister.  
Phoebe couldn't hide her surprise. "ME? You think I'D make a good cop?"  
"No, not a cop, Pheeble," Paige smiled tolerantly. "An inspector. A very special kind of inspector."  
"Oh, Paige, sweetie, no, NO," Phoebe pleaded. "That is SO not me - "  
"Isn't it?" Paige countered. "Come on, Phoebe. I know what you're doing right now bores you senseless. And if weren't for the fact that we work together in the same office, you'd've bolted a long time before this. Now, isn't that true?"  
Phoebe couldn't quite bring herself to answer her sister's question, so Paige merely smiled and continued.  
"Do you remember what you said to me, the first night I came over to your place, the night I met Prue?"  
"I said a lot of stupid stuff that night," Phoebe mumbled with embarrassment.  
"No, you said a lot of really wise things. And one of the things you said to me was, being a witch was going to be the best thing that ever happened to me. Remember? Because I would be able to help people. Well, now I'm telling you the same thing."  
She grinned at Kershaw, who declined to interject, but he smiled approvingly at her.  
"Danny, and Darryl, and a whole city full of inspectors and police officers like them, could really use the help of someone like you. Phoebe. You can HELP people," Paige said emphatically. "You can help make things right in a way nobody else can."  
"But the law of personal gain - "  
"What about it? Where's the gain for you, personally, if the pain and grief of a whole city full of complete strangers gets dumped in your lap every single day?"  
"I thought that's what you were doing, little Miss Social Worker," Phoebe countered with a grin.  
"It's the same gig, Pheeble," Paige said patiently. "I said you'd get to help people. Glory and riches aren't part of the deal. And I'm guessing any paycheck you get in return isn't gonna cover what you'd give to the job. Isn't that so, Danny?"  
She winked at Kershaw, who snorted with rueful amusement.  
"I - I need to think about this," Phoebe said, flustered. "I need to talk to Prue. And Darryl. And maybe a whole lot of other people."  
"Take all the time you need, Phoebe," Kershaw said with equanimity. "The offer won't go anywhere. And now, I think we should go," he announced, stubbing out the last of his pipe. "It's really freezing out here tonight."

* * *

It was late on Friday afternoon, and Paige was getting ready to leave the office. She collected the last of her papers and filed them, then reached for her coat. Phoebe walked up to her desk.  
"Ready to head out?" she asked.  
"Phoebe . . . is it okay if I meet you back at the apartment later?"  
"Sure." She frowned with concern. "Why? Is anything the matter?"  
"No, nothing like that. I just need to take care of - something personal," Paige assured her, and then she sighed. "Come on, Pheeble, you already know I tell you everything. And I promise, I'll tell you all about this - later. In fact, I'll talk to you about it so much you'll go cross-eyed from boredom," she vowed with a grin. "And you'll be begging me to shut the hell up."  
Phoebe returned the grin willingly. "Okay. I was just planning to stop by our new grocery, and pick up some fresh produce. Anything you want me to grab?"  
"Bok choy?" Paige said hopefully.  
"Sure, you want to do stir fry one night this week? I'll pick up some ginger and garlic too."  
"Sounds great, Phoebe. I'll see you later."  
She gave her sister a quick hug, and hurried away. Phoebe watched her go, her expression a mixture of wistfulness and concern.  
Paige ducked into a recessed doorway, and taking care to ensure she wasn't seen, frowned in concentration - and then vanished in a aura of bright white light.  
A few moments later, she found herself standing outside the doorway to Prue's apartment, and a smile of satisfaction crossed her face.  
"Oh, now THAT is cool," she murmured to herself, and then knocked at the door three times before letting herself in.  
Prue was sitting on the couch, reading through some contracts she had scattered across the coffee table. She looked up as her sister entered.  
"Hey, Paige," she greeted her with a warm smile. "I didn't realize you were coming over this afternoon."  
"Hi, Prue."  
Prue watched as her sister closed the door and hung up her coat, and she didn't need Phoebe's intuition to sense the dark haired girl had some serious concern troubling her.  
"Do you have a few minutes?" Paige asked. "I need to ask you something kinda personal."  
"Sure," Prue answered. "Come on in, sit down."  
They settled in side-by-side on the couch.  
"What's on your mind?" Prue asked.  
"Well, it's just - I've been doing a lot of thinking lately," Paige began haltingly. "I've seen all kinds of weird stuff the last few weeks, that make me question a lot of things I used to take for granted."  
"Like what?"  
"Well, like, meeting Yaozu, for one. Meeting our dead sister for another. And now, helping the Ling family with their ghost problem."  
"So, what's the question?"  
"I began to realize, I really don't know anything about the afterlife. And obviously there is one, because all these things we've been dealing with lately keep pointing these big, flashing neon signs to the fact that there is a life - maybe lots of lives - after this one."  
"And you're wondering what comes next?" Prue guessed.  
"Not that so much."  
"What, then?"  
"Prue . . . I need you to tell me what happened," Paige said at last. "When you raised Piper from the dead."  
Prue looked away for a moment, her hand to her mouth.  
"Because it was Piper, wasn't it?"  
"Yes." Prue's voice sounded curiously strained. "Yes, it was."  
"I need to know why we can't talk to the people we've lost. Why we can't ever see them again," Paige said plaintively. "What is it, that makes it so damn hard, if not impossible."  
Prue closed her eyes, and steepled her hands, almost as if in prayer. Paige waited patiently while Prue steeled herself for the conversation they were about to have.  
"Okay. So. Almost every human culture believes in some sort of afterlife," Prue began finally. "And most believe in some form of reincarnation - "  
"Prue." Paige halted her gently. "I don't need the anthropology lecture."  
"No. Sorry." Prue smiled sadly. "Bookworm. Old habits."  
She sighed profoundly, and then tried again.  
"I raised Piper from the dead because I thought I couldn't live without her. And when I did that, I did something terrible."  
Paige frowned. "What's so terrible, about wanting to see your sister?"  
Prue made a helpless gesture, unsure where to begin.  
"Every soul, when it reaches the end of this life, needs to . . . move on," she said. "And whether you believe the soul travels to heaven, or gets reincarnated . . . that part doesn't really matter. When our lives are over, our souls aren't supposed to be - here. The natural order of things is for the soul to move on to whatever's next."  
Paige nodded soberly. "Yeah. Phoebe and I got a crash course in that this past week."  
Prue bit her lip before continuing. "But . . . when you take someone away from that . . . when you take them from wherever they are . . . and bring them back here . . . you're hurting them. Hurting them more than anything else you could possibly do."  
Prue regarded her baby sister carefully. She was listening intently to every word.  
"There's an old word. It's not used much these days, but it fits. Blasphemy. Raising the dead is a blasphemous act. It violates not only every moral law, but the basic laws of nature. To be Wiccan means to be in harmony with nature. To show reverence for life, and the natural order of things. Raising the dead is the exact opposite of that, in any way you can think of."  
Tears began to fill Prue's eyes. "Piper was in a state of grace. You understand? She was - I don't even have the words for this. There's no happiness, no joy, in this life that compares to where Piper was, what she felt. And - I ripped her away from that - violently - and I brought her back to this life, with all its imperfections, all its pain, all its sorrows - took her away from the state that made her blessed. She had the full knowledge and understanding of where she had been, and I brought her back to - all this."  
The tears began to spill down Prue's cheeks. "When I realized what I'd done, how badly I'd hurt her, I undid the spell. I sent Piper back to wherever I taken her from. But the damage was done. I did something so horrible, that neither Piper nor God may ever forgive me."  
Paige swallowed hard, staring at her sister with wide eyes.  
"You . . . don't really think you're going to burn in Hell, do you?" she asked in a small voice. "Just because you wanted to see your sister?"  
"Not because I wanted to see her. Because of what I did, to make it happen."  
Prue sighed disconsolately.  
"I murdered Phoebe," Prue confessed brokenly, holding her hands out in front of her. "What she said - it was all true. I killed her. My own sister. Not once, but twice. But that was nothing, compared to what I did to Piper. That was so utterly evil, it - "  
Prue broke off abruptly. "What forgiveness, what salvation, can there be for someone like me?" she said at last, and her voice seemed utterly lifeless.  
Paige reached over, took her sister's hand in hers, and squeezed it gently.  
"Look, I don't know anything about any of this," she admitted. "About God, or the devil. Or angels or demons. Or any of this supernatural spooky stuff we keep having to deal with. Which is pretty ironic, since you and Phoebe seem to think I'm born of angels, or something like that." She drew in a deep breath. "But I have to believe there's a reason for all this, Prue. If God really thought you were beyond all redemption, why would He bother bringing the three of us together? Why would we be blessed with another Phoebe, brought all the way from another freakin' universe? You've been Charmed, Prue - and not just once, but twice. There's no way that happens, if you're a lost cause."  
"Paige, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but - "  
Paige put a finger to Prue's lips, gently shushing her. "I thought I was guilty of a murder, too," she said in a barely audible voice.  
Prue looked up her sister, her tear-streaked face showing complete astonishment.  
"I thought I killed a girl," Paige confessed. "Using witchcraft. This was a long time ago."  
"Oh, my God, Paige, what happened?"  
"I'll tell you the whole story later. But the important thing is, whatever evil either of us have done, we're being given a chance here. A chance to do something good. I can't believe God would let that happen, if we really were beyond all hope of saving." She gave Prue's hand another squeeze. "Do you remember what you said to Demon Phoebe, when she was about to die?"  
Prue shook her head tearfully.  
"She said something about going to Avici - whatever that is - but she obviously thought she was going to burn in Hell for all eternity. And you said to her, that wasn't possible, that there was still some good in her, and when she found it, you would forgive her with all your heart. You even said you'd forgive her publicly in the highest court of the underworld, so that every demon and every angel could hear, just on the chance she could be saved. And when you vanquished her, you weren't killing her a second time, Prue. You were giving her that chance to find her salvation. Giving her the chance to move on. And if you can do that for Phoebe, don't you think that Piper would do the same for you? She's your sister. She loves you. Don't you think she knows, when you've done something completely boneheaded?"  
Prue couldn't help laughing at Paige's comment, even though she was still weeping.  
"Look, I'm not qualified to judge anyone," Paige declared forthrightly. "But I guess I have to believe, this is all happening for a reason, and we have to be willing to forgive each other, Prue. Because how can we expect God to forgive us, if we won't forgive ourselves?"  
Prue pulled her baby sister into a tight hug, softly weeping. Paige returned the hug willingly and held her until her sobs finally quieted.  
"My big sister told me once, that finding the right words was the strongest magic of all," Paige murmured in Prue's ear. "I really, really hope those were the right words."  
"They were," Prue assured her in a choked voice. "I love you, Paige. I love you so much."  
"Yeah, well, back atcha, big sister. Your baby sister loves you too."  
Still twined in each other's arms, Prue and Paige let themselves sink into the soft cushions of the couch, releasing their tension. Prue sighed heavily, exhaling the last of her grief.  
"Sorry," Paige apologized. "I knew I needed to have a kind of heavy conversation with you tonight. I didn't think it was gonna get this heavy, though."  
"It's all right," Prue sniffed discreetly. "We need to talk about these things."  
"There's so many things I need to ask you. So much I need to know."  
"You can ask me anything you want, Paige."  
"You sure about that? I got lots of cans of worms to be opened."  
Prue laughed helplessly, a few stray tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "I'm sure," Prue answered at last. "Open any cans you want."  
"Okay." It was Paige's turn to sigh heavily. "Why didn't you tell me, that I was a White Lighter?"  
Prue frowned in puzzlement. "I'm sorry, Paige, I'm not following."  
"On Thanksgiving, when I healed Phoebe's hand, she said it was angel light. And since you've dealt with White Lighters before, you must have known from that moment on - what I was."  
"I didn't know, Paige. Not for certain," Prue objected. "I suspected it might be true, but suspicion isn't proof."  
"You could have told me."  
"And burden you with something that may, or may not, have been true?" Prue shook her head. "That wouldn't have been right."  
"Will you tell me now?" Paige asked. "I mean, everything. White Lighter 101. What they are, what they do. What the rules are. What - I'm capable of," she added hesitantly.  
Prue gave her sister a rueful smile. "That . . . could take awhile," she allowed. "Would you - like to stay, for dinner?"  
Paige gave her sister a grateful smile in return. "I'd love to," she said simply.

 

* * *

Phoebe Halliwell entered her new home, carrying a bag of groceries in one arm, to find only the floor lamp in the library was lit. The apartment seemed very quiet.  
"Paige? You home?" she called out.  
There was no answer. Dropping her grocery bag on the island counter, Phoebe shrugged herself out of her coat and hung it on the rack near the door, then turned on the overhead lights in the kitchen and dining nook.  
"Paige?"  
Clearly, Phoebe's little sister was still out and about somewhere. Sighing, Phoebe put the groceries away, and just as she finished, a premonition came to her. A smiling, inviting face. Phoebe smiled to herself in return.  
She went over the the rolltop desk in the library, took out a pen and a piece of note paper, and quickly scribbled on it: "Off to find my fireman, see you tomorrow - PLEASE don't worry - I LOVE YOU!" Phoebe underscored the last line several times for emphasis, then carried her note into the kitchen, tacked it to the refrigerator with a magnet, then dimmed the kitchen lights again and grabbed her coat.  
A few minutes later, Phoebe found herself standing in front of a nondescript doorway in an apartment building some six blocks from her own. Heart pounding in her chest, she brushed her copper-colored hair back from her face, doing so more from nervousness than anything else, then knocked on the door.  
After a moment, a latch pulled back and the door opened. Kai stood open-mouthed with surprise at the sight of his visitor.  
"Phoebe! Hi," he said almost breathlessly.  
"Hello, Kai." Phoebe felt distinctly giddy. "I, ahh, was - nowhere near your neighborhood," she confessed at last. "I know this is really kind of forward of me, but - I mean, I thought - you might be alone - lonely tonight," she corrected herself quickly. "And that you might enjoy having some, uh, company."  
"Yeah, sure," Kai's face broke into a wide smile. "I would like that. I'd like it very much." His smile turned to puzzlement. "How'd you manage to find me? It's not like I'm in the phone book or anything."  
Phoebe took in a deep breath. "Yeah. About that. Kai - what if I told you, I'm a witch?"  
"A witch?"  
"Yeah."  
"You mean, like, you cast spells and stuff?"  
"Spells and stuff," Phoebe agreed soberly. "And sometimes, I get premonitions - about people, and tonight - I just knew where you were, and that you were thinking about me the way I was thinking about you, and - " she couldn't help grimacing with embarrassment. "I haven't just totally creeped you out, have I?" she fretted.  
"No. You haven't." Again, Kai gave Phoebe the quiet smile that made a current of warmth travel to unbidden places of her body. "Would - would you like to go out somewhere, or - ?"  
Phoebe's shy smile turned completely carnal. "I would like to do that - some other time," she admitted in a soft voice. "Tonight, there's something else I'd like to do."  
Kai's smile widened with delight as he realized what Phoebe was asking. He opened the door to her. "Won't you please come in," he said politely.  
Phoebe slipped inside the door, and before Kai could react, she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close, and kissed him passionately. He just started to return the kiss as the door shut noiselessly behind them.


End file.
